Window construction



Filed Nov. 5, 1940- l l l Patented Nov. 3, 1942 WINDOW coN'sTaUc'rroNJames W. Kamerer, New Kensington, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh PlateGlass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication November 5, 1940, Serial No. 364,434- 2 Claims. (CIL189--64) The present invention relates to glazing structures and moreparticularly to a window construction in which laminated glass isemployed as the glazing medium.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a windowconstruction in which an intermediate air space is sealed from theatmosphere and a metal barrier reinforces the seal to assist inrestricting the passage of water vapor therethrough.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentfrom the following detailed description of a preferred embodimentthereof.

Double glazing, which has become of increased importance in buildingconstructions, has been the subject of considerable development. Manyborders 8.

. plates Il held to the frame by bolts l2 at spaced forms of doubleglazed units have been suggested heretofore but in all there hasremained unsolved the problem of sealing the unit so as .to preclude theadmission therein of water vapor. The first forms of insulating windowscontained spaced plates of glass having a vitreous edge seal. It wasobserved. however, that variations in temperature and pressureoccasioning the so-'called breathing action of the unit destroyed theseal and impaired its insulating value. ,A further development entailedthe formation of a unit wherein a resilient sealing medium was employedand provision was made for removing any water vapor which would enterthe unit. This could be accomplished by the addition of desiccantsor thereplacement of moist air by anhydrousv air.

The lack of satisfactory sealing media caused a substantial abandonmentof the original line of endeavor and there wasja trend towarddemountable units in which'one of the plates of glass could be removedfor cleaning and reconditioningthe surfaces of the glass plates. In thistype of unit there'wa's also provided containers for a dehydratingmaterial in order that the concentration of water vapor could bemaintained at a satisfactory minimum.

Briefly stated the present invention con templates the formation of asealed window unit employing plates of laminated glass in which thereinforcing interlayer material extendsbeyond the edges of the glass andserves to securer the laminated plates to'a suitable frame. The rein-Referring to the drawing, awindow construction I comprises a frame 2, ofmetal or wood, provided `with rabbets 3 extending around the innerboundary thereof. Plates 4 of laminated glass have a plastic reinforcinginterlayer 6 extending beyondthe edges of the glass laminae to formRibbons 9 lof continuous metal foil are encased within the plasticreinforcing material adjacent the edges thereof and are of suf' 'Aflcient width to project inwardly between the glass laminae. Thelaminated plates are secured Within the rabbets 3 of the frame throughthe extending reinforcing 'material by means of intervals therealong.

It will be observed that-in the disclosed con- K. struction, the spacebetween the laminated plates 4 is substantially sealed from thesurrounding atmosphere by clamping the border 8 to thev frame 2. Themetallic foil 9 encasedin the reinforcing material restricts the passage`of moisture therethrough and thus increases the effectiveness of theseal; It is, of course, possible that some water vapor might movegradually through the reinforcing material around the metal foil 9, butthisl path is of suchlen'gth that the infiltration of water vapor wouldbe exceedyond the edges of the glass laminae,` means for securing inspaced relation the laminated plates to opposite sides of the framethrough the ex-.- tending reinforcing material, and a metallic barrierencased within the reinforcing interlayer material adjacent its edges torestrict the infiltration of water vapor therethrough into the spacebetween the laminated plates. Y

2. A window construction comprising a fram rabbets on opposite sides ofthe frame extending around the inner boundary thereof. a plurality ofplates o f laminated glass having a reinforcingv interlayer materialextending beyond the edges of the glass laminae, a'P continuous ribbonof -metal foil encased in the reinforcing interlayer adjacent the outeredge thereof and of sui'cient width to project inwardlybetween the glasslaminae, and means for securing the laminated plates in spaced relationwithin the rabbets of the frame through the extending reinforcingmaterial. 4

` JAMES W. KAMERER.

or, the scope of the

